Monday, June 28, 2010

birthday wishes...

to danielle
with beauty
from jenny's garden
.

flowers are the sweetest things
god ever made
and forgot to put a soul into
-henry ward beecher

Sunday, June 27, 2010

i'm in trouble...

...like serious
middle
of the gut...
.
trouble
see i have this addiction
it has been steadily increasing
as the number of
paneras
in our neighborhood
has been growing
there is now a
convenient location on just
about every street i drive
today
my son had a ballgame
right next to a panera
he wanted a cinnamon roll too
so i ran over
and then left them in the car
while he was playing
the hot, hot car
when we opened the bag
they were in the most
amazing
delectable
gooey
moist
state
of just perfectly melted
heaven to the tongue
simply to die for
with this new discovery
my middle an i
are
really in trouble

Friday, June 25, 2010

stir crazy

i woke up early
this morning
feeling euphoric...
.

i was to meet the landlord
to sign the lease
for the new quilt store
by early afternoon
the negotiations
were heading south
like deep, deep south
as
in the tanker
i left to get my hair done
brassy red
fitting for the day
i went back
ready to pull out
of the entire building
including our other business
which has been addressed there
for thirteen years
my husband offered
to take me to dinner
we ended up at
i love scooping fresh vegetables
then watching them saute
in the wok
therapeutic in a creative food kind of way
just the energy i needed
to head back for round two
ding
we picked up painting
she picked up snow plowing
rent sealed until 2013
deal done
time to dig in
to the old fashioned fudge
we impulsively purchased
hmm...crazy and rocky
describes the day perfectly
thanks for the date honey
i love u

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

it's beginning...

to look
a lot like
christmas...
.
for the first time
in my life
i am actually sewing
with
christmas
fabric
in
june
i even got
my red cd case out
the one with all the
christmas music in it
this is fun
stay tuned
oh want to see a little more

Sunday, June 20, 2010

daddy's little girl

lots of talk
about trains
the last few days
.

and then i went searching for a pic
of me and my daddy
when i was a baby
and
this is the first one i found
of us
in full color
no kidding
happy father's day dad

Friday, June 18, 2010

honest...the train derailed

plain and simple
i hate excuses
so now what...

i'd been working for weeks
to get this special birthday gift finished
i ordered a new album
in plenty of time
yet it was not here
on the day i expected it
this has never happened before
then i opened my email
Dear Joyce ,

We are writing regarding your recent order 11146181. We wanted to inform you that, on Friday morning, June 11th, a train moving through Nebraska was derailed due to bad weather affecting roughly 1,000 Stampin’ Up! packages. Your order was on the train. We have been advised; however, that this order has been recovered and is back in transit. We apologize that we were not able to provide you with an update sooner. The tracking number for the order should provide you with an updated estimated delivery date. If, when you receive your order, items are damaged, please let us know so that we can send replacements. We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Sincerely,

Stampin' Up!®

now that's a new one

as you can see

thankfully the box arrived

in perfect condition

your book is on it's way karen

it wasn't my fault

honest

funny though

there is a page

with a reference on it

about a train

remember the night you and sarah spent in the hotel

next to the train tracks

happy(belated)25th birthday!!!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

the miracle of life

it was a
picture perfect
autumn day
.
i was walking across the ohio state campus
noticing the beauty of the
colorful fall leaves swirling about
it was a thursday in two thousand seven
november eighth as i recall
i had been in a meeting all afternoon
now i was preparing for a group of
friends to meet me in town
a girls weekend had been planned
as i got further from the crowd
i could hear my cell phone alarm
a message was waiting
from my father
my mother had fallen in a parking lot
and had been rushed to the hospital
thanks to the quick actions of a stranger
she had a massive brain bleed
and there was nothing that
could immediately be done
because of the blood thinner she
takes for her heart
i better come quickly
he stoically advised
the first twenty four hours are
the most telling
i dropped off the weekends
football tickets to my son's dorm
then drove across the state
not sure what i'd find
as i walked into her room
i didn't need a doctor to explain
her life was in danger
it was truly in god's hands
for days
she laid in the icu
the marvels of medicine
had somehow kept her alive
an empty shell she was it seemed
my face she didn't recognize
she was transferred to a rehabilitation center
where they worked to give her hope
at first it was the basics
her name, the day of week
then slowly they moved her out of the bed
a walker above her feet
for hours and hours they worked for days
my father by her side
he cut her food and fed her bites
until her strength returned
one hundred days is all you get
the medicare directives say
then home you must go
she wasn't quite ready
i was afraid for my dad as i'm an hour away
but home she did come
with many modifications and assists
it was nearly a full year
that my dad cared for her
much like a babe
then slowly we saw progress was being made
i never would have imagined
in two thousand ten
she would be standing
at the top of our steps
a full thirteen count
next to her grandson
on his graduation day
a miracle indeed
.
the therapy often had her
writing him letters
the first batch is barely legible
still he saved every one
as a reminder
i suppose
of this miracle of life
we are mightily thankful
and very truly blessed

Sunday, June 13, 2010

what a feeling...

...of pride
the day
your first born
.
graduates from college
i look over to the
business section
all 828 of them
knowing he's in there somewhere
and then my cell phone rings
4th row above the eleven
aisle seat

and i was able to go directly
over to where he was located
for an up close shot
i recognize immediately
that difference in 2010
from my day in 1983

then i managed to find a seat
with some breeze
i guess i kinda look like an only child
not for long though
once my family spotted me
from the other side of the stadium
the little one came a running

good thing
the graduate was so hot
he needed a snow cone break
i love watching these two share
brings warm fuzzies to my heart
.
this kid is always eating
i can't seem to fill him up
so glad they had
the regular stadium food vendors
open today
guess with a crowd this size
on a hot humid day
they would have to

after a few hours
a commencement address
by david gergen
a truly touching and tear rendering
presentation of
distinguished service awards
to chris spielman
and his late wife stefanie
my son appears in the tunnel
with diploma under arm
the pride at the moment
is chest tightening

my heart swells again
this time with gratefulness
to watch the embrace
with a woman
a momma could only dream of
for her son
a high school sweetheart
arranged by the heavens
i believe
a father son moment
now both buckeye alums
one connection that can
never be taken
away or broken

the first moment of seeing
your name in print
letting it soak in
the culmination of your
hard work
during the past four years

tj and dave
childhood friends
percussion enthusiasts
college roommates and
now fellow grads
of the fisher college of business administration

i love this quote
business is a hybrid
of dancing
and calculations

so proud of our
magna cum laude
graduate
and quite impressed that
the ohio state university
at the 392nd commencement
is able to present
the actual
diploma
to 8,652 students
the 2010 class
being the largest ever

a bittersweet day
saying goodbye
to your friends
the innocent freedom that college offers
to this beautiful complex
on the northeast corner of campus
specifically designed for
business students

tj we are so immensely proud
of your determination
your hard work
your dedication
to both the classroom
and your family

your commitment to julie
and
your genuine belief
in all things good

as you walk forward
with confidence
dad and i wish you a bright and
amazing future
we feel so blessed and honored to
be a part of it

Saturday, June 12, 2010

traditions and legacies

traditions and legacies
are sometimes
formed without knowing
.
for instance
this 1983 Ohio State grad
.
met this 1983 Ohio State grad

and lovingly created this little guy
who arrived in 1988
and hanging in the closet
was a Buckeye sleeper
we
received the adorable matching
red and white hat
from the women's auxiliary at the hospital
by definition
a legacy is born
from a predecessor
meaning a parent
in the case of one's alma mater
a legacy is created
and molded
in your image
with little TJ
it seems it was from the beginning

Thursday, June 10, 2010

first quilt, first born

i started quilting
to pass the time
while i was in college
.
it was 1978 to be exact
general hospital was the main event
it had taken over the dorm
we scheduled classes
around it's viewing time
luke and laura were about to be married
for the first time
the tv lounge was standing room only
i never was one to just sit
so i searched
for a pattern to complete by hand
a paper pieced
grandmother's flower garden
was suggested by my favorite quilt store owner
funny how those little hexagons
are back once again in 2010
i chose a black background fabric
with rose and blue flowers
i kept the project going throughout my college years
packing it up
the day i graduated
with it carried
memories for a lifetime
finally i finished sewing the binding
a year or so later
neatly folded it into a square
and closed it in a suitcase
until 1988
exactly ten years after it's inception
when i pulled it out
shortly after my first born arrived
i spread it about
and watched with delight
as he played
he loved the softness
and the texture
he was gentle with it
as though he understood the
work of my hands
the love of each stitch
today
we still share that bond
an unwritten code
he often calls when i'm thinking of him
when i need
the sound of his voice
it's hard to
imagine where the years have gone
this week
from college
he will graduate
with his
own memories for a lifetime
this mom could not be prouder
tj a job well done my son

Monday, June 7, 2010

small delay...

i had to move aside
the fruitcake
to make room...
.
...for a special project
wait did i just say fruitcake
oh well
see i did just give another
little hint
but in the meantime
i am working
on a very special project
for a very special gal
who will soon be having
a
century birthday
well not a full century
but we still celebrate
them in
fractional terms
i had to distort the image a tad
don't want to give it away too soon
although i think she may be
on the high seas this week
celebrating
in grand style

Saturday, June 5, 2010

another small hint

if you were confused
about me
utilizing items...
.
...from a grocery store
in a project
worry no more
there is fabric in sight

Thursday, June 3, 2010

a yummy hint...

of what's next
in the project line up
.
sugar cookies, hot cocoa
maraschino cherries and spearmint
all sound so yummy
have any idea
of what's to come

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

i do season...

each june i gear up
for the
season of weddings
.
there was a time
i was creating
one to two
custom bridal gowns plus
bridesmaids and flower girls
a week from my home studio
while still working full time
then
child number three arrived
and i realized
i needed a break
now i do alterations for just a select few
this season
friends of my oldest son
did i just say my son
if that's not enough
to make me feel my fifty years
the need for my reading glasses
just to hem
sure is
funny that mauve is back in vogue
actually they call it rosewood
this time around
best wishes
to all the summer's brides and grooms